Our bodies need the essential mineral known as calcium to help build bones and keep our skeletal system operating as intended. We think of calcium and dairy foods usually come to mind. However, there are a variety of other foods available that can satisfy your nutritional recommendations of this mineral.
Dark, Leafy Greens
You can eat a salad and get your daily nutritional recommendations of calcium cites the USDA. Dark leafy greens include spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, chives and kale. For instance, a serving size of 1 cup chopped spinach will supply you with 315 mg of calcium, or 31 percent of your daily nutritional recommendations cites the USDA.
Soy Foods
Soybeans are rich in calcium cites the USDA. A one-cup serving of soy beans contains a respectable 197 mg of the mineral. Soybeans can be made into a variety of soy foods, including the calcium-rich tofu. According to the USDA, tofu (sometimes known as soybean curd) is a rich source of calcium. Depending upon the version you buy, the tofu can also have added nutrients such as Vitamin A. A one-cup serving size of tofu can contain 135 mg of calcium, or 14 percent of your daily recommended calcium allotment cites the USDA.
Dairy Foods
When we think of calcium, dairy foods usually come to mind. All varieties of dairy, are rich in calcium. The varieties consist of whole fat, 2 percent fat content, 1 percent (also known as low fat) fat content, nonfat and dry versions cites the USDA. Included in the dairy category are milk, yogurt, butter, eggs, cream and ice cream. As an example, a 100 g serving of dry milk can contain 1,257 milligrams of calcium cites nutritiondata.com. This amount will supply you with 151 percent of your daily recommended allotment for calcium cites nutritiondata.com. That is not a misprint. The equivalent serving of dried buttermilk will contain an impressive 1,184 mg of calcium.
Cheeses are in the dairy category and include both hard and soft versions. Soft cheeses include cottage cheese, ricotta, mozzarella and curds. Hard cheeses include cheddar, havarti, romano, monterey jack and Swiss. Low-sodium parmesan cheese (a hard cheese), cites nutritiondata.com, contains the largest amount of calcium per one-cup serving at 1,376 mg. This amount supplies 138 percent of your daily recommended nutritional allotment for calcium cites the USDA. No, that is not a misprint. Another calcium-rich dairy food is whey. According to the USDA, 2,054 mg of calcium are in the 1 cup serving portion of whey.
Spices and Herbs
If you enjoy spices, you are in luck. Many contain large amounts of calcium. Basil contains 592 mg of calcium per ounce, or 59 percent of your daily recommended allotment of calcium cites the USDA. Spearmint, thyme, dill seed, oregano, basil, parsley, sage, celery seed, marjoram and savory are other spices are included in this category cites nutritiondata.com. All versions of these spices and herbs are calcium-rich including fresh, dried, freeze-dried or jarred.
References
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference; Release 20, USDA; 2008
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